Securing of service lines in hollow boat masts

ABSTRACT

A hollow boat mast having a service line therein, such as an electric power line. The line is secured at spaced points along the mast, and the line tends to slap against the mast inner wall in response to pitching or rocking of the boat, thus generating a disturbing noise. To reduce the noise, a balloon outfitted with a valve, is inserted through an opening in the mast wall intermediate said spaced points, and is inflated within the mast so that it closes the passageway of the hollow mast and holds the line against the mast inner wall. The valve is secured to the mast, as by threading, at said opening.

[45] June 10, 1975 1 SECURING OF SERVICE LINES IN HOLLOW BOAT MASTS [76]Inventor: John Logsdon, 101 Gedney St..

Nyack, NY. 10960 [22] Filed: Oct. 7, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 512,600

[52] US. Cl 174/70 R; 114/90; 138/93;

138/108; 174/45 R [51] Int. Cl. 1863b 15/00: H02g 3/02 58 Field ofSearch 174/10, 45 R, 70 R, 99 R,

3.814.835 6/1974 Merry 174/70 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS1,218,455 1/1971 United Kingdom 114/101 Primary Examiner-Laramie E.Askin Attorney, Agent, or FirmBurgess, Dinklage & Sprung [57] ABSTRACT Ahollow boat mast having a service line therein, such as an electricpower line. The line is secured at spaced points along the mast, and theline tends to slap against the mast inner wall in response to pitchingor rocking of the boat, thus generating a disturbing noise. To reducethe noise, a balloon outfitted with a valve, is inserted through anopening in the mast wall intermediate said spaced points, and isinflated within the mast so that it closes the passageway of the hollowmast and holds the line against the mast inner wall. The valve issecured to the mast. as by threading, at said opening.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUN 10 I915 a. 8 89,045

RUBBER BLADDER SECURING OF SERVICE LINES IN HOLLOW BOAT MASTS BAC KGROUND The present invention is addressed to the problem of reducingdisturbing noise caused by the slapping of service lines within a hollowboat mast.

Sailboat masts of present-day construction are commonly hollow aluminumtubing. The wires for masthead lights and antennas are disposed withinthe hollow tube, entering at the bottom, and leaving at the top.Pitching or rocking of the boat causes the lines to slap against theinner wall of the tubing, causing disturbing noise which is particularlyso when passengers are sleeping aboard.

Prior art proposals for dealing with the problem include the filling ofthe mast with foam plastic balls; the use of U-bolts disposed at spacedintervals along the length of the mast, clamping the lines to the insidewall of the mast. In US. Pat. No. 3,814,835, a keyway is utilized forthe purpose of preventing fraying of the cables which normally rubagainst the mast and against each other.

The prior art proposals are accompanied by disadvantages. The foamrubber balls are inconvenient and cumbersome to handle when the mast isto be serviced, as for replacing or adding service lines. In likesituations, the U-bolts are inconvenient to manipulate.

According to the invention, rubber balloons are installed at spacedintervals along the length of the mast. After installation, the balloonsare inflated so that each balloon closes the mast passageway, andpresses the service lines against the inner wall of the mast. Thereby,the tendency for slapping is reduced or elimi nated.

Servicing of the mast is facilitated by the balloons, since for that,the balloons can merely be deflated, and after servicing can then beinflated to again secure the lines as is desired.

Inflatable plugs for conduits intended for fluid flow, to close the flowpassageway, installed in conduits as the balloons are installed in themast herein, are known. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 740,795, 827,835, 2,889,892,3,298,398, 3,339,011, and 3,805,844. So far as is known to theapplicant, however, there is no suggestion in the prior art to utilizeballoons or inflatable plugs in accordance with the instant invention.

THE INVENTION The invention will be better understood by reference tothe accompanying drawing, taken in connection with the followingdescription thereof, and the following summary of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a mast outfitted with a service lineand balloons according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a showing of a balloon, in deflated condition, forinstallation in a mast; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 1.

In the drawings, like reference characters refer to corresponding parts.

A hollow aluminum mast 1 closed at its upper end by a cap 6, has aservice line 2 extending along the inner passageway of the mast, whichenters the bottom of the mast through a fitting 7 and leaves the top ofthe mast LII through a fitting 8. The line 2 is secured to the mast atsaid fittings. The line is a flexible line such as an electrical cableor antenna wire. Inflated balloons 3 are installed in the mast, atspaced intervals along the length of the service line. Each of theballoons closes the passageway and holds the line against the passagewaywall so that slapping of the line against the passageway wall isreduced.

Referring to FIG. 2, each of the balloons comprises an inflatable bag orbladder 4, and a valve assembly 5 which is secured to the bag in anysuitable manner such as vulcanizing, and serves for supplying gas to thebag for the inflation, and removal of the gas from the bag, to effectdeflation. The valve assembly includes threaded plug 10, which can be aself-tapping thread. The threaded plug 10 is threaded into an opening 9in the mast, so that the valve assembly extends through the opening 9and is secured to the mast at opening 9.

The openings 9 can be, for example, three-eighth inch. The balloons 3can be at any suitably spaced interval, for example, 5-6 feet. The valve5 can be such as is provided for tires, or, alternatively, such as isprovided for athletic balls, such as basketballs, and means as are usedfor tires or athletic balls can be used for inflating and deflating ofthe bag or bladder 4. The bag 4 can be rubber or neoprene.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thus, the invention provides an improvement ina boat mast having a longitudinally extending passageway thereinrendering the mast hollow, and having a line disposed therein within thepassageway extending longitudinally thereof over a length such that theline tends to slap against the inside wall of the passageway when theboat rocks or pitches, thereby generating disturbing noise. Theinvention provides the improvement which comprises at least one inflatedballoon disposed within the passageway intermediate the ends thereof,closing the passageway, and holding the line against the passageway wallso that the slapping of the line against the wall is reduced, wherebysaid generating of disturbing noise is reduced.

What is claimed is:

ll. In a boat mast having a longitudinally extending passageway thereinrendering the mast hollow and having a line disposed within thepassageway extending longitudinally thereof over a length such that theline tends to slap against the inside wall of the passageway when theboat rocks or pitches, thereby generating disturbing noise, theimprovement which comprises at least one inflated balloon disposedwithin the passageway intermediate the ends thereof, closing thepassageway, and holding the line against the passageway wall so that theslapping of the line against the passageway wall is reduced, wherebysaid generating of disturbing noise is reduced.

2. A boat mast according to claim 1, there being a plurality of saidballoons disposed within the mast passageway at spaced intervals alongthe passageway.

3. A boat mast according to claim 1, the balloon comprising an inflatedbag which provides said closing of the passageway, and a valve assemblysecured to the bag and for supplying gas to the bag forsaid inflation,means defining an opening in the wall of the passageway, said valveassembly extending through said opening and being secured to the mast atsaid opening.

3 4 4. A boat mast according to claim 3, there being a the balloon issecured to the mast. plurality of said balloons disposed within the mastpas- 6. A boat mast according to claim 5, there being a sageway atspaced intervals along the passageway. plurality of said balloonsdisposed within the mast pas- 5. A boat mast according to claim 3,wherein the sageway at spaced intervals along the passageway. valveassembly is threaded into said opening whereby 5

1. In a boat mast having a longitudinally extending passageway thereinrendering the mast hollow and having a line disposed within thepassageway extending longitudinally thereof over a length such that theline tends to slap against the inside wall of the passageway when theboat rocks or pitches, thereby generating disturbing noise, theimprovement which comprises at least one inflated balloon disposedwithin the passageway intermediate the ends thereof, closing thepassageway, and holding the line against the passageway wall so that theslapping of the line against the passageway wall is reduced, wherebysaid generating of disturbing noise is reduced.
 2. A boat mast accordingto claim 1, there being a plurality of said balloons disposed within themast passageway at spaced intervals along the passageway.
 3. A boat mastaccording to claim 1, the balloon comprising an inflated bag whichprovides said closing of the passageway, and a valve assembly secured tothe bag and for supplying gas to the bag for said inflation, meansdefining an opening in the wall of the passageway, said valve assemblyextending through said opening and being secured to the mast at saidopening.
 4. A boat mast according to claim 3, there being a plurality ofsaid balloons disposed within the mast passageway at spaced intervalsalong the passageway.
 5. A boat mast according to claim 3, wherein thevalve assembly is threaded into said opening whereby the balloon issecured to the mast.
 6. A boat mast according to claim 5, there being aplurality of said balloons disposed within the mast passageway at spacedintervals along the passageway.